Chauncy Bailey III, right is held by his mother ( no one could tell me her name) as they follow the casket out of the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Oakland Post Editor Chauncy Bailey, Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle) MANDATORY CREDITFOR PHOTGRAPHER AND SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/NO SALES-MAGS OUT less

Chauncy Bailey III, right is held by his mother ( no one could tell me her name) as they follow the casket out of the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Oakland Post Editor Chauncy ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins

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Regina Hill and Kenney Lewis at the funeral of friend Chauncy at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle)

Regina Hill and Kenney Lewis at the funeral of friend Chauncy at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle)

Photo: Lacy Atkins

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Friends and family follow the casket out of the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Oakland Post Editor Chauncy , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle)

Friends and family follow the casket out of the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Oakland Post Editor Chauncy , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle)

Photo: Lacy Atkins

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An unidentified women ( she is the mother of Chauncy III ) during the funeral service for Oakland Post Editor Chauncy , at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle) less

An unidentified women ( she is the mother of Chauncy III ) during the funeral service for Oakland Post Editor Chauncy , at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins

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Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums talks the the crowd at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Oakland Post Editor Chauncy , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle) less

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums talks the the crowd at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church for the funeral service of Oakland Post Editor Chauncy , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins

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Robin Hardin who was married to Chauncy Bailey for ten years, kisses his casket during his funeral services at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco Chronicle) less

Robin Hardin who was married to Chauncy Bailey for ten years, kisses his casket during his funeral services at the St. Benedict's Catholic Church , Wed. Aug. 8, 2007, in Oakland, Ca. (Lacy Atkins /San Francisco ... more

Photo: Lacy Atkins

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Slain Oakland editor's final story will be told, say mourners

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2007-08-08 15:04:00 PDT OAKLAND -- Oakland Post Editor Chauncey Bailey may have been killed because of his reporting but his final story will be told, hundreds of mourners pledged today as they honored the newsman for his tenacity and for being a powerful voice in the African American community.

At a funeral Mass in East Oakland, Bailey, 57, was remembered by Paul Cobb, the paper's publisher, as the "black male version of the White House's Helen Thomas," a similarly outspoken reporter.

Bailey "dared and cared to tell it like it was" and liked to call himself the "Barry Bonds of journalism -- the best and most disliked," Cobb told about 800 people at St. Benedict's Catholic Church.

The veteran journalist was ambushed and killed with a shotgun on Thursday in downtown Oakland as he walked to work. Police said the suspect, Devaughndre Broussard, 19, a handyman at Your Black Muslim Bakery, confessed to shooting Bailey because the journalist was investigating the business' finances. Broussard has been charged with murder.

Although he never referred to associates of the bakery directly, Cobb pledged today to honor his colleague's "indefatigable 24/7 work ethic" by exposing the truth about "the forces connected to this assassination."

"It ain't over. This community will know what Chauncey Bailey and I were working on," said Cobb, prompting a standing ovation by the standing-room-only crowd. "I want us to make his untimely, forced exodus our genesis, our genesis of renewed advocacy for investigative journalism."

The funeral for the former Oakland Tribune reporter drew fellow journalists and former journalists, religious leaders and Bay Area politicians, including Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums.

Dellums told the audience that it didn't matter if Bailey was the lone journalist at a children's track meet, one of several reporters covering a neighborhood cleanup or just part of a large media event: "There he was, with a camera in one hand and a recorder in the other."

The mayor exhorted members of the crowd not to "fall prey to fear and cynicism" and to dedicate themselves to changing the community by ridding it of violence. "This madness must end," he said, "and together we can do it."

Mourners were told how Bailey traveled on public transit in Detroit, where had worked at the Detroit Free Press. On board the bus were passengers just staring out the window. The next day, Bailey brought newspapers for them to read, giving one section to one rider and the other to someone else, said the Rev. Jay Matthews of St. Benedict's Church.

Derrick Nesbit, a former colleague, said Bailey once saved him from further embarrassment at a news conference after Golden State Warriors' player Latrell Sprewell punched his coach, P.J. Carlesimo, in 1997. Nesbit stood up to ask the first question but his mind drew a blank. To divert attention from Nesbit, Bailey asked an inane question designed to amuse: "Why aren't there enough blacks in the NHL?"

Another former colleague, Rodney Best, said, "Rest in peace, Chauncey Bailey, for your legacy has just launched, and your best is yet to come."

Martin Reynolds, the managing editor of the Tribune, said he eventually served as editor of his former mentor, which seemed strange because he felt Bailey had more to teach him. "Chauncey, quit asking God all those tough questions," Reynolds said to laughter.

Many speakers addressed Bailey's father and son, both also named Chauncey, saying how grateful they were for having met the newsman.